The Winners: Seven News averaged 1.7 million last night and was the most watched program, followed by Today Tonight with 1.626 million. The fresh episode of Two and a Half Men averaged 1.382 million at 7.30pm for Nine and the 7pm repeat was 4th with 1.370 million. Home and Away averaged 1.301 million at 7pm for Seven and the second episode of Sea Patrol (the finale) averaged 1.289 million at 9.30pm and the 8.30pm episode averaged 1.279 million for Nine and 7th spot. Nine News was 8th with 1.238 million people and Seven’s Desperate Housewives averaged 1.217 million at 8.30pm. Australian Story on the ABC at 8pm averaged 1.214 million, its best audience of the year. That won the 8pm to 8.30pm timeslot. A Current Affair was 11th with 1.205 million and the 7pm ABC News was 12th with 1.107 million. Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader on Ten at 7.30pm averaged 1.064 million and 13th and 14th was Four Corners with 1.015 million with its very solid report on Indian students being ripped off.

The Losers: The 7pm Project: 764,000 is bad news for Ten at 7pm. Big Bang Theory on Nine at 8pm, 890,000. Why did close to half a million people not want to watch it after watching the fresh episode of Two And A Half Men at 7.30pm on Nine?

News & CA: Seven News again won nationally and in every market as did Today Tonight. Ten News averaged 960,000, the late News/Sports Tonight, 261,000. The 7.30 Report averaged 936,000 with Kerry O’Brien back from holidays. After Four Corners‘ strong showing, Media Watch averaged a solid 867,000. Lateline had 261,000, Lateline Business, 154,000. SBS News at 6.30pm, 185,000, 204,000 for the late edition. Nine’s late News, 206,000. 7am Sunrise, 376,000, 7am Today, 331,000. Close again.

The Stats: Nine won with a 6pm to midnight All People share of 27.4% (27.6%) from Seven with 26.4% (24.6%), Ten on 20%, (21.1%), the ABC a high 18.7% (16.8%) and SBS 7.5% (10%). Nine won Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane. Seven won Adelaide and Perth. Seven leads the week 28.1% to Ten on 25.0% and Nine on 24.3%. In regional areas a very different result as WIN/NBN won clearly for Nine with 32.3% from Prime/7Qld with 22.4%, Southern Cross (Ten) on 19.3%, the ABC with 17.4% and SBS on 8.6%.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: Nine won because its Two and a Half Men did well from 7pm to 8pm and then the double episode of Sea Patrol secured the win from 8.30pm. Ten returned Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader to the 7.30pm slot and it averaged just over a million viewers. Unfortunately The 7pm Project continues to bleed viewers, down to 764,000 and now a “loser”. Nearly 300,000 people who didn’t watch it tuned in to watch 5th Grader at 8pm; that’s a thumbs down from the audience.

Eddie McGuire’s Hot Seat averaged a solid 720,000, but the majority of viewers are over the age of 55, who are not really wanted by TV advertisers these days. It’s number 15 for people over 55, and doesn’t make the top 30 programs for the 16 to 39, 18 to 49 or 25 to 54 groups.

Four Corners was solid and its 1.015 million people were more than watched 60 Minutes on Sunday night. I know different nights and timeslots and different opposition, but Four Corners should remind Nine that solid audiences are possible with good investigative reporting.

TONIGHT: Packed To The Rafters will win the night and the week for Seven. It’s the highlight. The second part of the Liberal rule doco on SBS, also at 8.30pm. Nine has nothing: more Two and a Half Men and The New Adventures of Old Christine have been dredged up from the vault and stuffed into the 8pm slot. Ten has Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation. Foreign Correspondent at 8pm on the ABC and at 8.30pm, Grand Designs.

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports